French water treatment specialist BIO-UV Group has shipped a second BIO-SEA ballast water treatment unit to the U.S. for extensive trials to assess the technology’s capability for use on board U.S. Navy vessels.

An “M” series BIO-SEA system will undergo the same rigorous testing as the compact BIO-SEA “B” series unit supplied to BIO-UV Group’s U.S.-based partner, The Columbia Group (TCG).

TCG was awarded a contract in 2021 to develop a ruggedized version of the BIO-SEA U.S. Coast Guard-approved UV-based ballast water treatment system (BWTS).

The BIO-SEA M Series, specially designed for the U.S. Navy, completed factory acceptance tests last April at BIO-UV Group’s production facility in Lunel, France.

Meanwhile, the BIO-SEA B unit, installed for evaluation in February 2024, was tested pier-side on a logistics vessel, completing over 500 hr. of ballasting/deballasting operations.

The B unit is now undergoing land-based electromagnetic interference testing to verify compatibility with U.S. military standards. The BWTS will then be subject to extensive vibration and shock testing.

The tailor-made compact BIO-SEA B unit BWTS is capable of dealing with flow rates up to 300m³/h. The larger M10 system has been designed to treat flow rates of up to 1,000m³/h. 

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